Whittaker All-Tournament; Canes 4th At PBC Championships

Apr 21, 2013

PINE MOUNTAIN - The Georgia Southwestern golf team had its best showing in school history at the Peach Belt Conference Championships as the Hurricanes finished in fourth place at the 11-team event held over the weekend at Callaway Gardens. Matthew Whittaker earned All-Tournament honors as he led the Hurricanes with a 2-over par 218 total.

The Hurricanes dropped to third after the opening nine holes on Sunday after shooting a combined 4-over on the par-72, 7,057-yard Mountain View Course, only one stroke off the pace of the leader. However, the final nine holes were unkind to GSW as the Hurricanes combined to shoot 11-over down the stretch allowing Armstrong to jump GSW for third place in the final standings.

Andrew Ritchot fired the Hurricanes low round of the day with a 2-under par 70. Ritchot posted birdies on five of his final 11 holes, including the 18th, to end the tournament on a positive note.

Ritchot matched Whittaker for the team's low round of the tournament. Whittaker fired a 70 in Round 2. Whittaker tied for third in the 55-player field, six strokes behind the individual medalist Matt Atkins from USC Aiken.

All-PBC First Team selection Nate Gahman tied for 12th with a 5-over 221. Ritchot joined Gahman with a 221 (74-77-70). Anders Olsson tied for 32nd with a 229 total and All-PBC First Team selection, J.P. Griffin, tied for 41st with a 234.

GSW's previous top showing at the PBC Championships was a sixth-place finish obtained last spring. With Whittaker earning All-Tourney honors, GSW has now placed an individual in the Top 3 in two-consecutive seasons. Craig Gibson tied for third in 2012.

The Hurricanes will now have to wait to see if they receive an invitation to the 2013 NCAA South/Southeast Regional. The field for the regional will be unveiled at 4 p.m. on Friday, April 26.